


The Joan Diaries

by lazily_astray



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Gen, Genderbending, Teenlock
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-06
Updated: 2014-02-06
Packaged: 2018-01-11 09:35:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1171504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazily_astray/pseuds/lazily_astray
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>College wouldn't be so intimidating if Joan didn't need to leave absolutely everything she was behind. But St. Bartholomews is where home is now. A home with strangers, chandeliers and all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Joan Diaries

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to clairabelle_ann for beta reading it :)  
> Also, she's written a work inspired by this called [Autumn of 2014, St Barts](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1172957) , which is set in a similar AU (psst... check it out...)

  
  


Monday, 9th September

The holidays were over and the school semester had begun. In fact, it had already been a week into the new term. Joan had been meaning to go, but she hadn't gotten up on time any day of the previous week.

 _The first day of school is always terrifying._ She'd heard people quote that over and over again, though she never found the truth in that. Until now, that is. It was supposed to be her first day of college, in an entirely new school which was located in an entirely new place, full of entirely new faces to get to know. Once she'd step in, accept it all, she knew she'd be abandoning her entire previous life. Everything that defined her wouldn't matter anymore. She couldn't wait to get the hell away. Clara could finally have a baby to complete her family, couldn’t she? And Harry didn’t have to worry too much about the cost.

She just needed to allow herself to wake up.

Harry had left that to her. He said he wouldn't be helping her get up or help sort her things out and all because she was in college, for christ's sake. Clara completely agreed with him. Not that she wasn't eager to see Joan leave, made clear with her always bringing up the subject of her leaving during their last dinner together. Joan just looked away and tried not to ever maintain eye contact with her sister-in-law. Harry never said anything.

Maybe Clara finally got to him, because that morning Joan was shaken awake at five thirty in the morning.

"What the hell?"

"Joan, school."

"The sun's not even up yet..."

"You know it's a long drive. We may not reach before dusk. "

"Come on, London's not _that_ far."

"You still need to get ready, we need to make a quick trip to the church, and oh- have you even packed your bags yet?"

Joan pointed towards two heavy suitcases in a corner dismissively. Everything was a hasty mess inside. Joan had packed them with quiet resentment and sadness the first time Clara reinforced the idea of Joan leaving.

"Okay. Get up then."

Clara had gone over to her family's because her sister was having a baby or something. Joan hadn’t been bothered enough to ask. She was almost glad Clara wasn't coming with.

They made a really quick stop at the church, since it was already ten in the morning. Joan had spent a long time over-thinking what to take, what not to take with. Her stuffed panda was taking up too much space in her suitcase, space that could be used to keep in more clothes, but she wasn't going to be seen carrying a stuffed animal around. No matter how essential the animal was.

Harry was right. The drive truly was long. Though they had their windows rolled down, not much wind hit Joan's face, since Harry refused to go any faster.

"We could, I don't know, drive faster than that cyclist on our right."

"I'm not going to be reckless."

He kept his gaze sternly fixated at the road ahead. He didn't look at Joan even once throughout the rest of the ride.

The sky had turned a dusky purple when they arrived. Joan couldn't help but marvel how absolutely enormous the campus seemed from outside. Heaven knows how much larger it actually was. She actually hadn't been to the school before, as Harry had it all sorted out for her. He checked out the campus and made all inquiries about things one simply must, and she trusted Harry. Even if she hadn't, she wouldn't refuse going to this school anyway, because they were certainly not in a position to pass up a full scholarship.

Harry said he would have loved to stay a little longer, help her sort things out, be shown around the campus again with her, just _be there_ , but he needed to make it to Clara to see the baby.  

"Take care, Joan." He put his hands in his pockets, looked away a bit. "I love you."

Those three words and the combination of surprise, embarrassment and confusion started heating up enough to paint Joan’s cheeks pink. She could feel herself gagging, but she didn’t let that ruin it.

"And I you." Joan’s voice was weak. No eye contact.

This was it. That was the last time she'd see her brother for a long time. They'd see each other during vacations, but he may get posted somewhere.

"Come 'ere," he squeezed the life out of her in his embrace, restraining her arms from hugging him back.

"I can't breathe," Joan wheezed.

"Right," he let go after twenty seconds.

"So, erm..." Joan trailed off. Suddenly, Harry held up a finger as something just occurred to him, and took off his good luck chain. It had a tiny gold christian cross on it. He told Joan to hold her hair up as he adorned her with it. "There."

He took a few steps back, waved and turned around to start walking back to his car with his soldierly posture, and that was it.

Left alone, Joan sat on a sofa in the reception and tried to take everything in. It couldn't have been larger than her flat, could it? It actually was. It wasn't just large, though. It was ridiculously fancy. The ceiling was high with a gigantic crystal chandelier in the middle, amidst the murals painted. _What kind of ceilings have art on them?_ Looked like Mr. Darcy’s ceilings from that one book she’d been assigned to read last year. There was an entire wall dedicated to shelve trophies and certificates and merits the school had earned. There seemed to be no space for any trophy below a second place.

It finally dawned on her. _How the fuck am I supposed to fit in here?_

"By not swearing, first of all." She looked up to see a smiling person tower over her. "Welcome to our school, Miss Watson. I'm Mr. Hudson, the english teacher.” He shaked her hand formally with cordial.  “Come on, let's show you around!"

Mr. Hudson was not a very tall man, well into his thirties. He looked like the kind of person who would mother anyone in need. Joan immediately took a liking. He had a couple of thick folders with him, both labeled with Joan's name. Mr. Hudson was dressed in a dapper suit. Everyone she saw around was in dapper suits.

Dapper.

That's the most accurate word Joan could think of.

Joan got up and was handed the folders. It had her timetable, her room number, locker number, four maps of the school (each for all floors), and other things she would check out later. The maps surely intimidated her. She came up next to Mr. Hudson promptly, and hence the tour began.

Half an hour through, after going around the overwhelming campus and its two libraries, three swimming pools, four dance rooms, heck, even normal classrooms, Mr. Hudson escorted Joan to the students' residential buildings. There was still a lot more to see, as the maps directed, but Mr. Hudson could see how tired the student was. He could determine she'd be one of his bright students.

It was quite a walk from the school to the rooms. There were no second floors here, every room was on ground level. Mr. Hudson let Joan open her room herself with her keys. Her luggage was already in. There was no one in the room, even though there were two queen sized beds with more than enough pillows on each.

"No roommate?"

"Everyone's been assigned to one already. You'll be having this room all to yourself."  

"Oh."

"Excited?"

"Hell- _Absolutely_ yes." Joan was beaming. Mr. Hudson was glad.

"I shall see you tomorrow in class then, Miss Watson. And if you need anything, you can ask me. But remember, I'm not your butler."

"Yes sir. Not my butler. Got it."

"Oh, and dinner will be served at eight. Would you like me to come escort you then?"

“Um, that's okay, I had a huge lunch. I'll just sleep early."

"As you wish. Goodnight Miss Watson."

"Goodnight Mr. Hudson."

They hadn't stopped for lunch. She'd told Harry she'd eat something when they'd reach. She was simply too queasy to eat.

After changing into her pyjamas and washing up, she kicked her bags into a forgettable corner. _I'm tired. That's a good excuse to delay unpacking._ Then, taking a chance, she charged towards the left side bed, jumping into it with great force.

She was right. The bed was soft and springy. Much so that it bounced her off of it. The impact on the floor would've hurt bad had it not been for the thick cream carpet in the middle of the two beds.

_Remind me not to spill red wine on that._

Shuffling through the dresser drawers, she found the remote to the television.

Ooh, football.

With her panda by her side, she gradually fell asleep as the crowd roared.

  
  
  



End file.
